The Sandler Inquiry Part 35

The furnishings were sparce. Books were in most of the shelves but other shelves were completely empty. On one wall, too far away for Thomas to examine carefully, there was an engraved certificate, an official doc.u.ment of some sort from the British Empire to George McAdam. Meanwhile, the dogs had settled tranquilly but alertly directly between the two men. Thomas got the message very clearly: Even if an intruder had gotten this far with a weapon, he'd not be able to get a shot off at McAdam without being torn apart immediately afterward. The Alsatians were still facing Thomas. He shuddered slightly.

"Talk," said McAdam.

"I wanted to talk about your foster daughter."

"I thought of her as my daughter," McAdam countered.

"Your daughter then " said Thomas.

"And I didn't come to tell you anything as much as to ask you a few questions " "I've never seen you before in my life," he said.

"What makes you think I'd give you the time of day?"

"If she's your' daughter as you phrase it, I'd think you'd want to help her."

"Help her?" he snapped. His face was a very belligerent scowl.

"Does that sound so strange?"

"It's beginning to."

"Why?"

"Daniels" chafed McAdam.

"You are in my home. I'll ask the b.l.o.o.d.y questions!" He glared at the younger man.

"Why are you here?"

"Your daughter is in New York at this moment. She is trying to collect a multimillion dollar inheritance which may justifiably belong to her."

McAdam continued to glare for a few moments. Then his hands closed before him and he rubbed his palms together. His gray eyes softened slightly.

"You don't say?"

"You sound as if that's impossible."

"I want to hear more" "Your daughter happens to be the biological daughter of a wealthy American. Arthur Sandler. A man who is legally dead, but-" "I know who he is' McAdam said sharply.

"I know you do. and I know all about you, also. Retired from British Secret Service. Wounded in Suez, vacationing in Majorca when Leslie killed the Italian" "Who told you all that?"

"Leslie, of course."

"Leslie," he muttered.

"Certainly," he added coldly

"You see her often, do you?"

"She's my client. I'm representing her in her claim against the Sandler estate."

"Ah. I see," he said.

"Money. You b.l.o.o.d.y Yanks Thomas felt himself starting to boil. He looked at the dogs and thought better of it.

"I'm here because she told me her story. Who she is, how she came to live with you, how she went to Canada. I want you to confirm it or deny it."

"Proceed," said McAdam cautiously.

Thomas began, repeating Leslie's story point by point as well as he could remember. Then, barely breaking stride, he launched into an explanation of Arthur Sandler, of Sandler's fortune and Sandler's partic.i.p.ation in Allied intelligence work. Thomas concluded with an explanation of how a young woman claiming to be Leslie presented herself in New York with full doc.u.mentation and asked Thomas to represent her. He omitted any mention of the fire.

McAdam listened intently, but his reaction to a ten minute summation baffled Thomas. There was very definitely something unsaid in the air, some central and crucial detail still missing from the picture.

"You say you're a barrister?" was all McAdam would say.

"I've explained all that."

McAdam eyed him coyly.

"So you have," said McAdam.

"And against my better judgment, I'm beginning to believe you. You're not a lunatic, I can see that. You may be here in all good faith."

"What about the story I just told you?"

"Substantially correct. As far as the details of Leslie's past are concerned, your story is wholly factual. How's that?"

"What's not correct?"

"Have you been to London recently?"

"What?"

"I said, have you been to London recently."

"I just came from London. You know that."

"I think you should make another trip. I think you'd enjoy it."

"Cut the riddles."

"I'm offering you Arthur Sandler. Do you want him or not?"

The proposition seemed so tidy and easy that Thomas was immediately suspicious. Why an unexplained giveaway after initial hostility?

"Well?" pressed McAdam.

"Yes or no?"